Fluid pressure cleaning device



April 7, 1959 G. E. STEWART ETAL 2,880,938

FLUID PRESSURE CLEANING DEVICE Filed Dec. 23,1957

INVENTORS Gem/0 Eugene S/ewarf A/ber/ Ufz ATTORNEY United States Patent FLUID PRESSURE CLEANING DEVICE Gerald E. Stewart and Albert Utz, Sacramento, Calif.

Application December 23, 1957, Serial No. 704,592

' 4 Claims. (Cl. 239-245 v invention relates to cleaning devices, and it particularly relates to cleaning devices for hollow tanks and the like wherein fluid under pressure is ejected effectively into all parts of the tank.

Although there have previously been provided fluid pressure cleaners of various types for cleaning hollow tubes, tanks and the like, none of these prior devices have effectively combined simplicity with ruggedness of construction and efilciency of action.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device of the fluid pressure type which is simple in construction, easy to use and which has so few parts that there is little likelihood of breakdown.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning device of the fluid pressure type which is extremely efiective in its cleaning action and which does not require a separate source of power.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved cleaning device, of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, and which is highly efficient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as well be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of a tank, showing the device of the present invention in use.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a cleaning device, generally designated 10, comprising a tubular shaft 12 open at each end and provided with external screw-threads at each end, as at 14 and 16.

Intermediate the ends of the shaft 12 but closer to the front end thereof is provided a collar 18 affixed to the exterior of the shaft as by welding or the like. Between this collar 18 and the front end of the shaft 12 are provided a pair of openings in the shaft shown at 20 and 22. The openings 20 and 22 are spaced apart axially of the shaft 12 and are also provided on opposite sides of the shaft (as best shown in Fig. 3).

The front face of the collar 18 is flat and adjacent this flat face is a hollow disc 24 rotatably positioned on the shaft 12. The disc 24 is provided with an annular interior chamber 26 which is in fluid communication with four slots 28 on the periphery of the disc 24 through holes 30 (as best shown in Fig. 3). The slots 28 are slanted from bottom to top in a counterclockwise direction (as best shown in Fig. 4

I At the front side of the disc 24 is provided a spacer ice I ring 32 and on the opposite side of the spacer 32 there is provided a second disc 34 rotatable on the shaft 12. This disc 34 is similar to disc 24 in that it is provided with an annular interior chamber 36 having communication through holes 38 with four peripheral slots 40. These slots 40 are directed, from bottom to top, in an inclined clockwise direction (as best shown in Fig. 2).

Adjacent the front face of disc 34 is provided a spacer ring 42 in surrounding relation to the shaft 12. This spacer 42 is positioned between the disc 34 and an adjusting nut 44. The nut 44 is internally threaded to engage the threads 14 at the front end of shaft 12, and'is provided with a widened collar portion 46. A plurality of radial, screw-threaded bores 48 are provided in the collar portion 46 to receive Allen-head type set-screws 50. These screws 50 are tightened to hold the nut 44 in adjusted position and loosened to permit adjustment of nut 44.

In operation, the shaft 12 is connected by a hose (such as shown at 52 in Fig. 5) to a source of pressure fluid which may be a liquid under pressure, steam, compressed air or the like; the hose being threadedly coupled to the threads 16 at the rear end of shaft 12. The nut 44 is then adjusted to provide a closer or looser fit between the discs 24 and 34 and the spacers 32 and 42 so as to permit faster or slower rotation of the discs on the shaft 12. Then the pressure fluid is allowed to flow into the shaft 12 and out through the openings 20 and 22 into the chambers 26 and 36 and out through the slots 28 and 40. As the fluid emerges from the slots 28 and 40, it not only forms a series of sprays around the two discs but also acts to rotate the discs, the direction of rotation being determined by the inclination of the slots 28 and 40. Since the slots 28 are inclined oppositely to slots 40, the discs 24 and 34 will rotate in opposite directions, thereby effecting a substantially continuous annular spray which, at the same time, has not only the initial force of the compressed fluid but also the centrifugal force resulting from the rotation of the discs 24 and 34.

In Fig. 5, the device of this invention is shown applied to the task of cleaning the inside of a tank on an oil-tank vehicle or the like shown at 54. The tank is disclosed as having a series of compartments formed by upper and lower baflles 56, each having a top opening as at 58. To clean each compartment, it is merely necessary to insert the hose 52 with the device 10 thereon into each opening 52 and then turn on the pressure. The compactness of the device 10, the flexibility of the hose 52 and the relatively great force of the fluid stream issuing from the discs 24 and 34 permit a most effective and rapid cleaning of all parts of each compartment of the tank.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A cleaning device comprising a tubular shaft, a plurality of spaced openings in said shaft, said openings extending laterally from the hollow interior of said shaft to the periphery thereof, a pair of fiat circular discs rotatably mounted on said shaft, each of said discs having an internal annular chamber therein, each disc encompassing one of said openings and having its annular chamber in fluid communication with the corresponding opening, a series of inclined slots on the periphery of each disc, the inclination of the slots of one disc being opposite to that of the slots of the other disc, said slots being in fluid communication with the corresponding annular chamber of the corresponding disc and being radially inclined.

2. A cleaning device comprising a tubular shaft, external screw-threads at each end of said shaft, one of said screw-threaded ends being adapted to be coupled to a hose and the other of said screw-threaded ends .thmadedly receiving an internally-threaded adjusting cap nut closing the said end of said tubular shaft, a plurality of axially-spaced, rotatable flat, circular discs on said shaft positioned between said nut and a collar on said shaft, and each of said discs having radially inclined slots on the periphery thereof in fluid connection with the interior of said shaft, the inclination of the slots in adjacent discs being opposite to each other.

3. The cleaning device of claim 2 wherein said shaft has a plurality of lateral openings connecting its hollow interior to the periphery thereof, each of said openings being aligned with one of said discs, a chamber in each .disc in communication with the corresponding opening, passage means between each chamber and the slots on :the corresponding disc.

4. The cleaning device of claim 2 wherein spacers a e Pro ide bet en the discs and be u th im 2. 4 the nut, said cap nut being axially movable to adjust the pressure on the spacers and discs and thereby adjust the speed of rotation of said discs, said cap nut being provided with set-screws to hold it in axially adjustable position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 153,844 Pungs Aug. 4, 1874 165,668 Galvin July 20, 1875 1,645,227 Cease Oct. 11, 1927 2,631,061 Nelson Mar. 10, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 936,610 France Feb. 23, 1 948 825,916

Germany a Dec. 27, 1951 

